Symptoms of retinal detachment
- The common types of retinal detachment include:
- Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment- You have a tear or hole in your retina. This allows fluid from within your eye to slip through the opening and get behind your retina. This is the most common type of retinal detachment.
- Tractional retinal detachment- When scar tissue on the retina’s surface contracts and causes your retina to pull away from the back of your eye. This is a less common type of detachment typically affecting people with diabetes mellitus.
- Exudative retinal detachment- Retinal diseases, such as the following, cause this type of detachment:
a. an inflammatory disorder causing fluid accumulation behind your retina
b. cancer behind your retina
c. Coats disease, which causes abnormal development in the blood vessels. The blood vessels leak proteins that build up behind your retina.
There’s no pain associated with retinal detachment, but there are usually symptoms before your retina becomes detached, which include:
- blurred vision
- partial vision loss, with a dark shadowing effect
- sudden flashes of light that appear in one or both eyes
- suddenly seeing many floaters, or strings floating before your eye.
- Types of retinal detachment differ based on the state of your retina, and whether it’s caused by a tear, scar tissue, or disease.
Retinal detachment maybe diagnosed using a series of exams by the eye specialist checking your vision for:
- your eye pressure
- the physical appearance of your eye
- your ability to see colors
- Your doctor may also test the ability of your retina to send impulses to your brain. They may check the blood flow throughout your eye and specifically in your retina.
- Your ophthalmologist doctor may also order an ultrasound of your eye. This is a painless test that uses sound waves to create an image of your eye.
Surgery and treatment for retinal detachment
In most cases, surgery is necessary to repair a detached retina. In other cases of minor detachments or tears of the retina, a simple procedure may be done. For tears of the retina, laser surgery (photocoagulation) and freezing (cryopexy) are the most common treatment options.
Photocoagulation – If you have a hole or tear in your retina but your retina is still attached, your ophthalomogist may perform a procedure called photocoagulation with a laser. The laser burns around the tear site, and the resulting scarring affixes your retina to the back of your eye.
Cryopexy- Another option is cryopexy, which is freezing with intense cold. In this treatment, your ophthalmologist will apply a freezing probe outside of your eye in the area over the retinal tear site, and the resulting scarring will help hold your retina in place.
The three most common surgeries are pneumatic retinopexy, scleral buckling, and vitrectomy.
Pneumatic retinopexy – is done to repair minor detachments and can sometimes be done in on an outpatient visit basis with your eye specialist or ophthalmologist. First your doctor will typically put a numbing medicine in your eye so you feel no discomfort. The next steps include: Insert a tiny needle in the eye to extract a small amount of fluid, inject a small amount of air into the eye so that a small bubble forms in the eye, wait for the retina to move back into place and then repair any holes or tears with laser surgery or freezing.
Scleral buckling – may be done in more severe cases of retinal detachment. For this surgery, your doctor will typically give you anesthesia so you can sleep during the entire procedure. From there a small and flexible band will be placed around the sclera (white part of the eye). The band will gently push the sides of the eye and towards your retina so it will reattach. The band will be attached permanently after the surgery. Laser surgery or freezing may be provided to repair any holes or tears. The procedure is relatively simple, so you may be able to go home the same day.
In order to make sure your eye heals completely after surgery, you’ll need to:
- Wear an eye patch for at least one day after the surgery.
- Avoid any intense exercise.
- Have a follow-up visit with your doctor.
Vitrectomy – is a surgery similar to pneumatic retinopexy, but is used for larger tears and usually needs to be performed in an outpatient surgery center. You’ll be given anesthesia so you can sleep through the procedure. The next steps can include: a small incision will be made in the sclera of the eye, a microscope will be inserted to see inside the eye. Any abnormalities such as scar tissue, vitreous (gel-like fluid), or cataracts will be removed. The retina will be put back in its place with a gas bubble. Laser surgery or freezing will be done to repair any holes or tears.